Don't Get Me Wrong
by jenajasper
Summary: Sam and Dean face something they've never seen before. They beat it. But, everyone's entitled to one mistake, aren't they?
1. Chapter 1

The bar was busy. Everybody appeared to be enjoying themselves except for the woman at the far end. She was nursing a beer and watching a younger man. They had come in together but, that appeared to be where it stopped.

The bartender watched this dynamic and decided to get involved. She told him that she had been dating the younger man but, obviously he was now interested in seeing someone else.

The bartender noticed the interaction of the girl to the young man, the giggling, the touching. He spoke reassuringly to the woman at the bar and she said, "I hope he chokes on it."

Suddenly, the young man grabbed his throat , his eyes bugged out and he opened and closed his mouth without making a sound. A woman screamed and the young man collapsed on the floor.

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Dean came in and walked directly to the kitchen for a beer.

"Glad you're here. We found something." Sam waved his brother over to Bobby's desk where he was seated. He and Bobby had been researching a couple of strange deaths. They had all occurred in a small town, at the same neighborhood bar. As Dean made himself comfortable, Sam explained.

He had been reading through police reports and found that all the witnesses had one observation in common. Before the young man choked to death, his ex told the bartender that she hoped he would.

"Wow!" Dean said. "He dumped her? That's some karma."

Sam ignored that and related the next case. A husband and wife came in. Most people described her as a tease. Dean interjected the word 'slut'. Sam ignored this too and continued reading. The wife was flirting and dancing. The husband was seated at the bar, in conversation with the bartender. Someone overheard him say, "She's gonna give me a heart attack."

Dean said, "Don't tell me."

Sam responded. "Oh, yeah. Now, what can do that?"

"Maybe a djinn, making your wishes come true."

"But, a djinn is hallucination. These people are dying for real. A trickster?"

"Not enough fun. You know, something like this happened in a Superman comic. A bacteria made your worst nightmare come true, then put you in a coma."

"That's nothing like this!"

"Just working the case, thinking out loud…."

"Great investigating, Jimmy Olsen."

"Don't hurt yourselves, boys." Bobby said carrying a book he had found in the other room. "I got an idea."


	2. Chapter 2

Bobby shared his research. He had found a reference to a Hindu goddess. He didn't attempt to pronounce the name. She had the ability to tell truth from lies and one of the variations was able to turn words into actions.

"So, what these people say, actually happens."

"Do you think it's the bartender?"

Bobby answered. "That's the only thing they got in common. They all were talked about to the bartender."

Dean spoke next. "Well, I see a road trip. But, how do we kill it?"

Dean grabbed the demon blade and said, "This should take care of it." But, Sam thought it wouldn't be enough and just shook his head in response. Bobby explained that he had also found an incantation that was created to destroy this kind of evil. In addition, he told them there was a potion they needed as well. He would mix it up while they packed their bags and prepared to leave .

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While the boys were on the road, Bobby called with an update. Sam put the call on speaker. It appeared that after winning a game of pool, the local town braggart was enjoying ridiculing his opponent, who was overheard to say, "I hope he drops dead."

Dean found that funny.

Sam asked, "What does the local law think is going on?"

Bobby answered. "What's to think? A guy chokes on an ice cube, an older man has a heart attack, and this'll probably be explained away as an aneurysm or some such…"

"But, Bobby, all at the same place in just a couple of days. This can't seem normal."

"Boys, this may be an obvious connect the dots to us but, the locals just see drunks at a bar and some pretty serious bad luck."

One of them expressed a thought that if this thing was powerful enough to make something out of nothing, then maybe it could control the atmosphere of the whole place. Bobby admitted to having that same thought. He told the boys to be careful before ending the call.

With that, Dean applied a little more pressure to the gas pedal.

Within a couple of hours, they arrived in town and later that night, they entered the bar.

It was extremely busy for a weeknight, leading the Winchesters to believe this was the place. The bartender was very attentive and very popular. Sam and Dean kept their distance and observed. It didn't take long.

They overheard a pretty young girl speaking to the bartender. "He cares more about that car than he does me. I'd love to see his face if it got wrecked."

Almost immediately, there was the sound of screeching tires followed by the sharp metallic clang of a collision.

Dean turned to Sam and said, "Yahtzee."


	3. Chapter 3

Sam and Dean walked out ostensibly to get a look at the accident but, actually to set themselves up in the rear of the bar for closing time.

Sam had committed the incantation to memory but, reviewed it one more time as Dean unconsciously handled the demon blade. Dean looked at his brother and Sam heard him say, "the waiting is the hardest part" as close to singing as he was able. Sam merely rolled his eyes, a slight smile on his lips.

They heard the sound of a generator, signalling the shutdown of the bar's electrics. The back door swung open and the bartender stepped out.

Dean immediately grabbed him, holding the knife to his throat. Sam began to recite.

Dean felt the bartender struggle and become stronger. He gave Sam a confused look wondering if perhaps the spell wasn't working. Sam kept on. Dean's struggle became more animated until he felt himself losing his grip. He wrestled the bartender down to the ground and stabbed him through with the blade, effectively pinning him. Dean had used enough force to pass the tip of the blade through the creature and into the alley floor.

As Sam continued to recite, Dean used his weight to hold the bartender in place. Sam tossed the plastic bottle, containing Bobby's concoction, to his brother. Continuing to apply pressure to the blade, Dean uncapped the potion and began to pour it over the writhing body beneath him.

Instantly, he felt a slipping away of the solid flesh and an aura of smoky mist rise up around them. There was a fetid smell like spoiled meat, which caused Dean's eyes to water and Sam's speech to falter.

The brothers looked at each other as Sam concluded the ritual. Sam raised his eyebrows in an 'I told you so' look and said, "I guess the knife wasn't enough."

Dean looked into the quickly dissipating face of the creature and, giving the blade one last twist, he said, "I hate it when he's right. He's such a know it all."

Since the knife had lost its hold, the momentum of that final thrust, caused the blade to loosen from the ground and sent Dean back on his heels. He rested against the wall as the last of the body drifted away in a steamy haze.

Sam and Dean exited the alleyway scanning for any remnants of their encounter. Dean replaced the blade in his belt loop and wiped his hands on his jeans. They had no physical trace on themselves however, they each felt a stickiness which was the only reminder of the ordeal.

The fight had been more difficult than expected but, at least it was over.


	4. Chapter 4

They were silent until they reached the car. Sam spoke first. "Well, that was a new one."

As he popped open the trunk, Dean answered, "I guess we can't assume we've seen it all."

Tossing in his share of the equipment, Sam absently said, "No, that's not right."

"That's what I said."

"No, Dean. The word you want is pre-sume." Dean just cocked his head and stared. Sam continued. " A-ssume is without foundation and pre-sume is based on probability. We have too much experience to assume."

"Ass-ume, pre-sume, ass…" Dean slammed the trunk shut, drowning out the rest of his remark.

Sam reached for the keys but was told, "You're on punishment. You ride shotgun." Initially disappointed but, not surprised, he took advantage of the opportunity to enlighten his brother.

"Hey, Dean, you know where that came from, 'riding shotgun'?"

Dean opened the door and looked at his brother across the roof of the car. "No, but, I presume you're going to tell me." And he did.

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As they rode, they reviewed the case. Never having dealt with this particular monster before, they wanted to categorize their info.

"That potion was pretty awesome stuff. Stinks to high hell but, gift horse hey Sammy? "

"You know that actually means what it says. it's about the horse's teeth."

It's very difficult to describe the sound Dean made at that moment.

To avoid any more education, he turned on the radio. After a few minutes, Sam could hear him singing along. "Those aren't the words, you know."

Dean snapped. "What did you do, swallow freaking Wikipedia?"

"Come on, dude. You can't swallow Wikipedia."

"That does it!" Dean pulled the car off the road and turned to face his brother. Sam was flustered as Dean asked what was wrong with him.

"Nothing. You're the one making all the mistakes."

"But, do you have to be right, all the time?"

Uh oh. Sam and Dean gave each other that look. It was the one they got when both lights went on at the same time. They realized that something was very wrong.

Dean called Bobby, on speaker. He complained about Sam correcting him and how badly he wanted to hit him. Bobby questioned them about killing the creature and Sam assured him it was done. Dean added, "It dissolved into a puff of smoke."

"It was a vapor, not smoke."

"Did you hear that!?"

Bobby asked, "Did either of you idjits talk to it? About wanting something to happen, or liking or not liking what was going on?"

"We killed it, Bobby. We didn't have a conversation."

"You're wrong, Dean."

"Sam, I swear, I'm gonna…"

"Dean! Now Sam, tell me what you mean."

He related the story of what happened at the bar, including the fight and Dean's comment about him being right.

Bobby laughed for several minutes while Dean fumed and Sam looked lost.


	5. Chapter 5

"Seems he got you on the way out, boys. Must've had just enough juice left to give the whammy."

In unison, the brothers asked, " What do we now?"

"That's a puzzler. The thing is dead and its already done the job." Bobby took a minute then a thought struck him. "Any remains, maybe?"

"Like I told you. It went up in smoke." Dean answered; he saw Sam open his mouth but before he could speak, he added with just a touch of vitriol, "Sorry, vapor"

"Did you clean the knife, yet?" Sam and Dean felt like kids without their homework. They did admit to leaving the scene in a hurry and that maybe the knife could use a cleaning. In addition, Sam described the slimy feeling on their skin. Bobby suggested that a shower and a change of clothes should remove any residue. And that, hopefully, that should do it.

Before hanging up the call Bobby said, "Now, get your tails up here and Dean, try not to say anything stupid." Sam laughed heartily while Dean simmered and refused to speak, not even goodbye. However, that didn't prevent Sam from admonishing him about obeying the speed limit.

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Bobby heard the door slam. He descended the staircase serenaded by Sam and Dean's bickering.

"It has nothing to do with that, Dean. That's a common misconception."

"I don't want to hear any more about deadheaded nails, horse's teeth, tomato, tomahto…."

Quietly, Bobby interrupted Dean's ranting. "Sam, Dean."

The sound of his voice hit the brothers like sanctuary. Dean approached the elder hunter and grabbed him by the shoulders. He pleaded, "Make it stop. Doesn't he know how disinterested I am in hearing this crap?"

Almost against his will, Sam muttered, "uninterested, Dean."

The grip became so intense, Bobby feared he would see bruises in the morning. He told Dean to get cleaned up if he wanted it to stop. With what was left of his last nerve, Dean calmed himself, released his hold and stomped upstairs.

Bobby greeted the younger Winchester. "How ya boys doing?" Sam shook his head and the two men entered the living room as Dean's clothes rained down from the upstairs landing. "Must've been pretty bad."

Again, Sam could only shake his head. He handed the knife over for cleaning. Bobby tried to comfort him. "This can't be fun for either of you. Good thing you're freshly educated though, God knows what you'd be spittin' out otherwise." Sam smiled in spite of himself.

When Dean came downstairs, he didn't speak. He merely looked his brother in the eye and pointed up. Sam rolled his eyes and followed instruction. He also tossed his clothes over the second floor railing. However, his were wrapped in a neat bundle. Bobby collected them all and went to the basement while Dean poured himself a drink.

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The conversation at dinner was playful and light. Bobby mistakenly used a noun as a verb and Dean gave credit to Stephen King for a quote by Edgar

Allan Poe. Sam said nothing. It was business as usual.

As the trio enjoyed the cool evening out on the porch, Bobby had occasion to use the phrase 'mad as a hatter'.

Sam responded, "Hey, you know why…." Before he could finish, Bobby and Dean both turned and gave Sam the same look. It was quite menacing.

Sam shut up and drank his beer.


End file.
